This year, the West Haven Public School District is placing a special
focus on one of the most critical building blocks for student success:
school attendance.

I want to see all of our students at school, on time, every day. I am
launching the “Here!” Campaign for Attendance to bring attention to this
important matter, and hope you will make your child’s attendance a
priority all year.

In order for students to reach their potential and fully benefit from
our curriculum, they must be in school from the first bell until
dismissal every day. Our district offers an academic program that is
second to none, clubs and extracurricular activities, and support
services—but these tools can only make a difference if a student is in
school
to use them.

Absences, tardies and dismissals add up. Think about it this
way: If a student is absent 10 days each year from kindergarten
through graduation, he or she misses 130 days of school—that’s like
missing almost 75 percent of an entire school year.

If your family or student faces a unique challenge that may cause
frequent absences, please contact your school principal and/or social
worker. I look forward to working with you and our schools on attendance
in the coming months, and wish you a successful and enriching 2017-2018
school year.